Today is a big day for Near-U.

We're announcing our first major operating partnership — and pinning a real date on the calendar for full public launch. Two things every founder dreams of saying in the same breath.

A partnership built on shared DNA

Near-U is teaming up with BeBlack Tech Hub Ltd, a Warri-based software engineering studio, to run the operational backbone of the platform as we head toward launch. This isn't a vision-deck partnership built on synergy charts — it's something simpler. We share an owner.

Ogbonna Gideon Sopuruchukwu — software developer, engineer, and the founder of both businesses — is the same person steering both teams. That means decisions move fast, technology stays sharp, and the standards BeBlack has built over years of shipping for serious customers flow straight into how Near-U treats its providers and clients.

Two companies, one playbook: build trustworthy systems for real Nigerian customers, ship them with care, and stay around long enough to make them better.

Our HQ for now — Warri, Delta State

Until Near-U has an office of its own, BeBlack is graciously hosting us. You'll find the team here:

SHOP 22/23, BLOCK P
ROBINSON PLAZA, DECO ROAD
WARRI, DELTA STATE

This is where verification reviews happen, where new providers get onboarded face-to-face, and where the support inbox is watched. If you're an artisan in Warri or anywhere across Delta State and you'd rather hand your documents to a real person than upload them online, walk in. The door is open during business hours.

Launch is coming — July 2026

For the last few months Near-U has been in a quiet, deliberate build-and-verify phase. We've been picking categories carefully, vetting our first providers in person, and stress-testing every flow that handles money. That phase ends in July.

Between now and then we'll be:

  • Onboarding hundreds more verified providers across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt — and yes, Warri.
  • Switching on SMS-based booking so providers without smartphones can still receive jobs over a basic feature phone.
  • Bringing launch partners online — payment processors, insurance, logistics — so every booking comes wrapped in real protection.
  • Polishing every corner of the product so the first thousand users have a frictionless experience from search to "release funds."

If you've been waiting to sign up as a provider, this is the moment. Early providers get permanent priority placement in their category and a complimentary first month on our Pro plan.

We're open to partnerships

We've said yes to BeBlack. We're saying yes to more. If your business sits in any of these lanes, we'd love to talk:

  • Payments & fintech — power Near-U escrow and provider payouts.
  • Logistics & delivery — bundle a pickup or drop-off into every booking.
  • Insurance — underwrite our verified providers against on-the-job risks.
  • Industry associations & trade bodies — get your certified members a "trusted" badge on the platform automatically.
  • State governments & local councils — partner with us to formalise the artisan economy in your region.
  • Media & community — co-create stories that put Nigerian artisans front and centre.

Or maybe you've got an idea that fits none of those categories but feels right. Tell us anyway.

Drop us a line: support@near-u.ng
Or call: +234 911 1110 003

One more thing

The hardest part of building a marketplace in Nigeria isn't the technology — it's the trust. We're moving deliberately because we'd rather earn one customer who tells ten people, than rush one thousand who tell no one.

Thank you to BeBlack Tech Hub for backing this from day one, and thank you — yes, you, reading this — for following along. July is closer than it sounds.

— The Near-U team
Powered by BeBlack Tech Hub Ltd, Warri.